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Pictures and details about original design manufacturer High Tech Computer's (HTC) supposed follow-up to the Universal - a mini-laptop of a Pocket PC Phone - have been making their way through the Internet rumor mill the last few days. What's described could be the smartest Microsoft-based smartphone yet?

Here's the lowdown:

Codenamed Athena (X7500), the smartphone looks a lot like a typical tablet-style Pocket PC with QWERTY thumb-keyboard; expect, perhaps, a bit squarer than what we're used to from HTC.

Unlike Pocket PC Phones like the HTC-built Cingular 8525, the keyboard doesn't flip down to reveal the landscape display. Rather, it detaches completely, so you can use the Athena without the typer, which is sure to lighten one’s load considerably. Reportedly, the keyboard can also connect wirelessly, likely over a Bluetooth , as well.


images orignally from Polish language site pdaclub.pl

Initial scuttlebutt about Athena indicated the handset is based on Microsoft's Ultra Mobile Personal Computer (UMPC) platform, which would have made it a full Windows device. Instead, it appears the smartphone runs on what's been called a Pro (?) version of the Windows Mobile for Pocket PC operating system.

According to the latest reports, additional specifications may include a 5-inch (up from initial rumors original 3.5-inch) touch-screen that runs at 262k colors and supports a VGA (640 x 480 pixel) resolution.

Beneath the display is supposed to be a 624 MHz Intel Bulverde processor (up from the initially rumored 400 MHz), an 8 or 10 GB hard disk drive, and a 2100mAh Li-Poly battery for up to 6 hours talk and 300 hours standby time on a single charge. The battery is said to power Athena for up to 8 hours of video playback also.

There's also supposed to be an SD card slot, Wi-Fi, 256 MB of ROM, 64 MB of RAM, GPS, a USB 1.1 interface, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and two cameras - one 2 megapixels and the other VGA.

And, perhaps most important to know, there is reportedly going to be two versions of Athena: one for Europe and the other for the U.S.

Athena is said to be a quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE smartphone with UMTS/HSPDA 3G cellular-networking.

With all the above crammed in, it doesn't come as a surprise that Athena is said to measure 133.1 x 97 x 20 millimeters (5.2 x 3.8 x 0.8 inches) and weigh 350 grams (12.3 ounces).

Keep in mind that it is very early and nothing official has come out yet about this device. We'll keep following the story and will report additional (and possibly more accurate) details as they come to light.